Helping kids be idenpendent learners. What subjects do your kids do on their own?

[VBoulden]

Backstory:

 

I have a two year old who is requiring a lot of attention and I am pregnant again! We are thrilled that our family is growing BUT my current home school plan for my seven year old requires more attention than I can give her being sick all the time and eventually having a new baby, etc.

 

What subjects do YOUR kids do on their own? What programs, curriculum, etc. do they use for these subjects? I need to revamp my plans to help my daughter do more without me.

 

Thanks!

 

:001_smile:

[2_girls_mommy]

My 7 yr old does virtually nothing on her own. She does spelling and phonics almost independently (Rod and Staff 2nd grade) but it is early in the year and mostly review for now. I still have to be sitting nearby to make sure she is working. As the year progresses, the work will be harder requiring me to spend time on the lesson with her.

 

My 9 yr old does most of her reading independently. She also does her spelling and penmanship (Rod and Staff 5th grade) completely independently first thing in the morning while I am working with her younger sis on her L.A. stuff.

 

In Latin I spend 1 hour a week going thoroughly over the new lesson and reviewing the old with her. 2 other days a week she practices on her own. She does the workbook page 1 day and practices pronunciation and fills in a grammar sheet on her own. (Latina Christiana I)

 

That is about it, Some days I can glance at a lesson and know that she (9 yr old) will be ok to read it to herself and do the lesson (I am thinking mostly of math, Rod and Staff 5th grade and English, R&S 4th grade here,) but most of the time I spend a few minutes going over the lesson and reviewing with her.

[truebluexf]

Nothing, except for DS's online Spanish course. I tried doing more independence this year, and it was a huge bust....and now I know why. I listened to SWB's new lecture on getting your child to learn independently...and it was a big eye-opener. I highly suggest it!!!

[Ellie]

My dc did lots of learning on their own, but Official School Stuff they did with me. When they were little, sometimes I had cute little workbook-y things that I picked up at ToysRUs or the grocery store or Walgreens, and they would do those on their own just for fun. ;-) And they needed that instruction from me until their own reading and writing skills were such that they could do Official School Stuff on their own.

[In2why]

Independent times for 3rd grader

 

Silent reading for 30 minutes in the afternoon

Copywork

Teaching Textbooks Math and once I get him going in Math Mammoth he can complete the worksheet on his own.

 

Everything else requires supervision and/or active participation.

[Jay3fer]

Congratulations!

 

For a 6-year-old, there isn't much independent work, honestly. Because the point is the LEARNING, not "getting however-many pages done." Five minutes playing together with money or cuisenaire rods or geometric solids is worth half an hour of writing sums over and over in a workbook.

 

If I were you, I'd read a bit about unschooling and/or Charlotte Mason, and concentrate on cuddle-up reading time, whole-family experiences, getting outdoors if the weather permits... and slowing down.

 

My ds4 is VERY clingy and attention-grabby if I provide activities for him, but if I just say, "go do whatever," he's usually off like a shot and will play on his own for a good long time.

 

Unschoolers will tell you - their kids don't suffer, they keep right on learning with or without the workbooks. I'm half-convinced that the only thing between me and unschooling is MY need to see a workbook. :-)

[boscopup]

My 7 year old can do *some* things independently now because he's a very strong reader. He does history and science independently, then comes to me to give me an oral narration.

 

We switched to Wheeler's Speller, which is somewhat independent. Sometimes I have to read some words, but most of it involves him copying poetry lines and marking up words.

 

Math semi-independent... I teach the concept, assign problems, then let him do his work.

 

If your child is reading well, I think you can let the content subjects be more independent (library books on interesting topics, etc.). You can also get the audio version of SOTW so you don't have to read it while you're sick. ;)

 

If your child is not reading well yet, she's not going to be independent. You'll just need to cut to the basics (3Rs) while you're sick, and pick up the content again later. You can do it! It's just a short season. ;)

[lorrainejmc]

My 9 yr old does Apologia by herself; we actually dropped scheduled content subjects a few weeks ago and she has since picked this up and is working when she wants to, which usually means she does more than I would have scheduled. She also works through the Trail Guide to World Geography. She is able and motivated. But unschooling the content subjects isn't working so well with my boys.:001_huh:

[Perogi]

My 8yo does her handwriting and copywork independently. Grammar is also fairly independent (Growing with Grammar). Independent reading. Math is semi-independent - once the lesson is taught she will often work for 20 min on her own on the problems. Typing is independent online.

[5LittleMonkeys]

Dd8 doesn't do too much independently yet. She could do most of MM alone but she is so slow that I usually end up having to sit with her to keep her motivated to move at a quicker pace. She reads alone and has reached a point with copywork that she can do it alone but now we are moving on to dictation so I'll be back to sitting right there again. She could have done R&S alone (level 3) but we've shelved it for awhile. The bulk of our work is unit based - Trail Guide to Learning-Paths of Exploration - so there just isn't a whole lot of independent work to do. It's a lot of discussion and and one on one exploring at this point.

[TeachingTwins]

I have my DD7 and DS7 do some things on the computer that are independent -- using learn to type software (Typing Instructor for Kids) and some phonics and spelling software (Click N Kids). They also use Quarter Mile Math independently to practice math facts. I have to be there and guide or teach them on just about everything else.

[JOHNNABONNA]

For my 6 yr old the only thing she does independently is Reading Eggs on the internet. She could do math independently but needs someone there to keep her on track and of course when it is introducing something new.

 

My 10 yr old does math, english, vocab and bible independently most of the time with an occasional question here and there.

[Donna]

My 9yo does her foreign language studies on her own with Rosetta Stone. She does her math with Thinkwell and her main science lesson with PLATO (both computer based). She is independent with Wordly Wise and reads and writes stories on her own (we edit together).

 

Some subjects we do together...history reading and extra science reading (not because she can't do them independently but because I like to listen in). We also do projects and experiments together.

[Chelli]

My dd7 (will be 8 at Thanksgiving) does the following independently: math worksheets (after math teaching session with me), handwriting, poetry copywork, grammar worksheet, independent reading, phonics (computer based program), spelling words on Spelling City, geography worksheets from Evan Moor Daily Geography.

[sagira]

Ds just turned 8 in early September. He always needs, em, encouragement, but these are the ones he's able to do mostly independently:

 

Rosetta Stone Spanish (he loves this, even asks for it)

Wheeler's Elementary Speller (I give him a rundown first)

Math Mammoth (I go over it first if he's not sure about something)

Penmanship through Getty Dubay Italic (finishing up C)

Reading (I tell him to read a chapter, a paragraph aloud first sometimes)

Extra reading in History or Science

Copywork (WWE)

Geography: US States: Floor Puzzle and Enchanted Learning state printout worksheet

 

I also created a checklist listing the items he needs to do when I'm busy/unavailable (I have an 8-month-old baby). This includes more reading, minimum of 30 min a day, math drill, piano practice. That sounds good in theory, but it turns out I need to remind him about it all the time, which sort of defeats the purpose of independence :tongue_smilie:

 

Still working on it, as I'm going to have inquisitive and curious dd4 with us next year too! :D

[Tracy]

My 6.5yo can read on her own, and that is it. She hates doing anything alone. And worksheets take f-o-r-e-v-e-r. She is an excellent reader, so I have been making her read and narrate every day. She is a good kid, but there is no way there is any more independent work than that getting done around here.

[redsquirrel]

My 11 year old is in charge of his schedule and is fairly self sufficient. I am on call and supervising at all times. There are several subjects that we do one on one while the younger one entertains himself.

 

My 6 year old does nothing without me. Maybe he finishes the occasional page of math while I get a cup of coffee, but his education is all one on one.

[----]

.

[mom31257]

My 8 yo is using Big IQ Kids Premium Spelling on his own. It costs $40 a year. You can let it generate lists, or you can put in your own. I had already purchased a book that was phonics/rules based, so I'm entering that curricula's words.

 

He really enjoys it. It teaches you the spelling of the words and uses them in sentences, there are games to practice each day and it does tell them to get paper and write the words at least once each week. When they finish the lesson they get a game coin to play little video games on the site, but those aren't to practice the words. It gives them a quiz and a test. You get an email about the results.

 

You can reset lessons if they need more practice, too.

[jar7709]

My DS who will be 7 in december reads independently, so often I can get him started on something by just "accidentally" leaving it near him while he's eating breakfast. We've done a lot of our history reading this way so far this year. Plus as a bonus after he's read something and he feels confident on it he likes to help explain it to his little sis so, bonus, narration done! ;)

 

If he's in the mood for it, he can also do a worksheet on his own, but I can't depend on that though. We also do computer-based curricula for math and grammar, and while he can do that on his own, it goes a lot smoother if I'm in the room nearby. Even if he doesn't have questions on it he likes the reassurance, I think. So usually for those subjects the three of us are all in the office working on different things for an hour or so, but I make a lot of quiet exits for phone calls and stuff that need to get done (I work from home).

 

You'll feel your way through it. Congratulations!

[zaichiki]

My 9 y.o. does some thing on her own:

 

• Rosetta Stone for her language study
  
• practices piano on her own using Fundamental Keys
  
• *part* of her language arts (Sonlight grammar/mechanics/useage sheets -- the old ones)
  
• some of her math (Singapore Math workbooks and intensive practice)
  
• some of her history (writing the summary of what she/I read in Story of the World)
  

My 12 year old does a lot more on his own... but it was a natural/slow transition that came as he got older.

 

My 5 y.o. does *nothing* on his own. He even likes a buddy in the bathroom with him. (Little sisters who like to sit on their potties with books fill the buddy role very well.)

[SJ.]

My almost 7yo does Explode the Code, WWE1 copywork, and some math independently. Good luck!

 

SJ

[black_midori]

My 5 yo does nothing independently (1st grader).

My 7 yo (2nd grader) does the "heavy" subjects with me and a few "lighter" ones one his own, including:

- Rosetta Stone Spanish (computer) - unless he is having difficulty

- Kodu computer programming game (computer)

- Journal writing (1 sentence & lots of drawing)

- Math Mammoth 2a/b (math supplement to RSB, which I do with him - but this goes MUCH faster if I am sitting there with him "reminding" him to keep working! - math is not his favorite thing)

- Scholastic Phonics workbooks/readers

- Reading (but he'd rather read to me or sit with me while we both read)

 

For 3rd grade, I am considering starting that online math (is it Teaching Textbooks??) as our supplement - he is fully capable of DOING the MM work, but I'm thinking maybe having it on the computer would encourage him to focus more fully on it. Also, it'd be nice not to have to proof every problem!! :D

[trishalinn]

I have a 7 year old, but he is pretty much doing 3rd grade curriculum and is a very strong reader so I think that helps a lot with independence.

 

I have a very needy just turned 3 year old and 4 month old twins, so I'm a busy mama with them! When I found out I was having twins I switched up some curriculum for this year in order to make it easier and help my son be more independent.

 

- We switched from Saxon math (which we were very happy with) to Teaching Textbooks 4. He seems to enjoy it and it was a smooth transition. I used the placement test to find out wehre to put him.

 

- Veritas Press self paced history course (he LOVES doing this and begs to do it every day, it's pretty much completely independent). This is our second year of using VP history but our first of using the self paced course. Pricey, but in my opinion, very worth it!

 

- Phonetic Zoo - I introduce the words and had to help him the first week or so. They went through the words a bit too quickly and he needed me to guide him through pausing and restarting the audio and backing up if need be. He is a pro at it now and doing better with spelling than I ever thought he would! I wasn't sure if he was ready for this, but decided to give it a try and if he wasn't we could shelf it and do something else.

 

- He does part of his reading independently and part of his reading each day orally to me. I have him do this while I'm nursing babies, so I can pull double (or sometimes triple) mama duty!

 

HTH!